^/. v^ 






^'' -^0^ 






% >? 

^0°. 






■ *^ 






s> 






• o s > .C 






A'' o. 



A-* 



>^ 



#^^!^"'/- ^y'^j:,';^ ,,vnV,.-^,.% 

. I \ ... * ^ 



-o 0^- 









x^q. 













<^ V 






*. 



>° .ei" 






./ 






>..,..^' 



\>^^ 












iv^ 












-n/- vV ,,_ . .^ ^ ^ <^. .-is 















■'-/"\-o-^."l!',-^. °'\*«^ -■ "'i ■-' •^---"• 



,/■■- .^*^.= ->>' -^^.v.^/V-'^/.^'-V*--' 









.^*- - 



The RIVER: 

n 

A SONG OF HUMAN LIFE. 
Br ALA, 

Author of "The Silent Dormitory and Other Poems," "Disciple- 
ship," "The Two Paths," etc. 



PRIVATELY PRINTED IN HONOR OF OUR MOTHER' 
NINETY- FOURTH BIRTHDAY. 



JOHN LOCKWOOD, 
138-140 South Oxford Street, 
" Brooklyn, N. Y., 
1890. 



WHAT IF SHE NE'ER RETURN ! 



Mother is ,y;oiie ; her empty chair I see. 

Gone! hut, please (tOcI, she conieth soon again. 

joy ! she conieth 1)ack again to nie. 

What if she ne'er return I To her, sweet gain ; 
To me immeasurable loss and pain. 

1 dare not think of that distressful day 
When from the window I shall gaze in vain 

For her returning steps, unwont to stray, 
That come no more, howe'er with l)reaking heart I pray 



THE T{iyER: 

A SONG OF HUMAN LIFE. 



THE RIVER : A SONG OF HUMAN EIEE. 

Out of a dingle wild 

I came, dear Nature's child, 

A brooklet undefiled, 

As cr3'stal clear. 
I danced to see the light 
Of the pure heaven so bright, 
And sparkled at the sight 

Of sunbeams near. 



Out of the great mystery, the Human Soul is ushered 
into the worhl, at birth, in immaculate innocence 
and perfect beauty. 



lo The 'l^iver: 



Shot b}^ the sttirs strong bow. 

They pierced me through and through- 

'T was but their wa}^ to show 

Their welcome sweet. 
By mossy rocks I played, 
'Twixt banks of fern I strayed. 
In cozy nooks delayed 

My baby-feet. 



Absorbing mother-love greets it, and it soon finds 
its way to the delights which kindly Nature has 
provided for it on every side. 



zA Sojio- of Human Life, ii 



There laughing zephyrs came 
Breathing love's blissful name, 
But innocent of shame 

I heeded not : 
With gleeful strife and din 
They pressed my cheeks and chin, 
They pressed love-dimples in, 

Then kissed the spot. 



Being wholly unacquainted with sin, the babe is 
unaffected by its approaches. 



The %h'er: 

Unmoved to love's delay 
Eftsooiis I slipped away, 
For I would be at play 

Amid my toys : 
The pebbles at my feet, 
Whereon as harpchords sweet 
I swept my fingers fleet, 

Sang of my joys. 



Impatient of dalliance, it seeks its playthings with 
glee, and coos its innocent happiness. 



^^ Song of Human Life. 

Lured by my dancing wave, 
For me the wild-bird gave 
His wood-notes gay and grave 

In shade and shine ; 
Swinging from tree to tree, 
So fearless and so free, 
The squirrel played for me 

His antics fine. 



Finding in Nature a response to every desire, it 
more and more seeks her sympathetic companion- 
ship. 



14 The ^iver: 



Unto my pebbly brink 

Came creatures wild to drink — 

Duck, otter, weasel, mink — 

And plash and pla}' : 
Happy betwixt ni}^ banks, 
I watched their brimming pranks, 
And heard their noisv thanks 



The livelong day 



Pets are drawn to the child, who is in turn attracted 
to them. 



<^4 Song of Human Life. 15 

By pool and waterfall, 
By rapids great and small, 
I heard the red fox call 

His loitering mate. 
I heard the panther's growl, 
I heard the lone wolf's howl, 
I heard the midnight owl 

Hoot his " Too late ! " 



With observant eyes the child gradually gets ac- 
quainted with its sweet companion, Nature, 



1 6 The %iver: 



By maii}^ a soft cascade 
Whose melody dela3'ed 
Whatever footsteps stra3'ed 

Within their spells, 
By many a grassy bed 
With strawberries white and red 
And violets interspread 

And lilv-bells, 



and with advancing 3-ears grows in sweetness and 
beantv ; 



c^ Song of Human Life, 17 



There poets loitered long 
M}' rocks and rills among 
And caught a loftier song — 

Diviner fire : 
There lovers came to find 
In me a purer mind, 
An essence more refined 

Than love's desire. 



and begins to get glimpses of the deeper significance 
and beant\- and purity of the world. 



The %iver: 



Thus many a day and mile 
My life was one sweet smile, 
With naught that could defile 

My earth-pure stream ; 
Nor shadows that oft creep 
O'er life's serenest sleep 
Came to disturb ni}' deep 

And golden dream. 



It begins to perceive that it has a share in the un- 
tainted splendor of the universe, 



^4 Song of Hitmaji Life, 19 



At length not far away, 
Where slept the sun all da}', 
I found a meadow gay 

With daffodils ; . 
There the lush grass was green, 
And there the floral sheen 
Lay beautiful between 

The sun-kissed hills. 



and enters completely into the enjoyment of the 



20 The 1{iver: 



There children golden -tressed, 
By sunbeams soft caressed, 
All da}' the cool grass pressed 

With knees and feet. 
With them fond zeph3'rs played 
And round their lips dela3-ed ; 
O who could them upbraid ? — 

So pure, so sweet ! 



zA Song of Human Life. 21 



I watched them, bo3\s and girls, 
Their locks in tangled whorls 
Of dandelion curls, 

That fairies know'; 
And they wore coronets 
Of braided violets 
More beautiful than frets 

A royal brow. 



Nature, the indulgent mother, companions the spot- 
less and beautiful 



22 The l^iver: 



Their necklaces were made 
Of butterciips abraid, 
With clover leaves inlaid — 

Ah, pretty weeds ! 
What the}' called ' ' cheeses ' ' round 
On hollyhocks they found, 
And these with grass they bound 

To make them beads. 




zA Song of Human Life. ■ 23 



They chased with footsteps sly 
And bonnets poised on high 
The painted butterfly — 

That winged flower ; 
Till, hushed their nois}^ g^ee, 
Beneath some spreading tree 
Gave up each little knee 

To slumber's hour. 



of innocent happiness. 



24 The '^{iver: 



Of this fair spot possessed 
I loitered long at rest 
Nor had within ni}- breast 

Or thought or care. 
I let my music die, 
Content, stagnant, to lie 
And gaze into the sk}' 

With vacant stare. 



Passive to these influences it becomes enervated, not 
having 3-et discovered that it has a positive and coni- 
mandin,s< work of its own to do. 



^ Song of Human Life. 25 

By scarce-seen affluents new, 
Fed by the rain and dew, 
More and more strong I grew ; 
But lo, there crept 



But conscience not having yet awakened, the child 
knows nothing of sin, and so has not learned to be 
on its guard against temptation. From a mixed 



26 The "l^iver: 



Out of obscurity 
Rills of impurit}'-, 
While in security 
Fancied I slept. 



environment, evil influences approach it along with 
good ones, and the soul is contaminated, though yet 
sinless, before it is aware. 



zA Song of Hitman Life, 27 



Then on my ganiients' sheen 



A track of stain was seen 
Behold I was unclean ! 
Not quite in vain 



Conscience awakens, and reason begins to discrimi- 
nate between worthy and nnworthy objects of pur- 
suit. Fruits which reason has disapproved are 



28 The 1{iver: 



The pitj^ng sun looked down, 
{ For this he hath his crown). 
To cleanse ni}^ baby gown 
Of this first stain. 



tasted, and the taint of sin follows. This taint the 
just-awakened spiritual force of the soul strives to 
remove. 



zA Song of Human Life. 29 

But more and more — O shame ! — 
Turbid my stream became ; 
Matters not whose the blame, 
Mine was the cross. 



Sorrow follows condemnation, but it is not deep 
enough to enable the soul to resist triumphantly the 
allurements of pleasure ; nor is the understanding 
yet sufficiently enlightened to give proper weight to 



30 The T{iver: 



O this vile influence ! 
O this base indolence ! 
Lost was ni}' innocence- 
Ah me ! the loss ! 



the dangers of temptation, and thus the soul's purity 
is more and more stained with sin. Innocence is 
gone for ever. 



Z.4 Soiiiy of Human Life, 31 

Near this sweet glade I found 
A mill whereat I ground 
For all the farmers round 
Their golden grain. 



But under the action of the mighty forces now at 
work, the understanding developes rapidly, the will 
takes command, defensive works are erected at the 
weak points, and the soul, fortified and guarded 
against surprise, is secure. The youth begins to see 



32 The %iver: 



More and more wheels beside 
I turned with ni}^ swift tide, 
And heard the shuttles glide 
With might and main. 



that he has a place in the great world's work, the 
voice of Duty is heard and obe^-ed, and in the hum 
of industr}' the calls of the tempting siren, thou.y^h 
heard, are unheeded. 



<i/J Song of Human Life. 


33 


Then on I ran in haste, 




With all my waters waste, 




M}' turbid stream more chaste 




For good work done ; 




My dreams 'mid rocks and rills, 




With babes and daffodils, 




My service in the mills 




All past and gone. 




Useful occupation gives the spiritual forces a 


chance 


to cleanse the soul, which now bids farewell to self- 


indulgence, frivolity, and idle dreaming, and 


even to 


the rougher forms of industrial activity, 





34 The %iver: 

B}' quiet farms I swept, 
B)^ hamlets still that slept, 
By villages I crept, 

And on and on. 
I heard the lambs repeat 
Their soft, heart-touching bleat 
Beneath the fervid heat 

Of summer's sun. 

and enters, with a due sense of its allotted part, upon 



zA Song of Human Life, 35 

I heard the piping quail, 
I heard the black crow rail, 
And, near, the threshing-flail 

On the barn floor. 
The hovering hawk I saw — 
A king whose might is law — 
Eying with hungry maw 

The barnyard o'er. 

life's inomentoiis work. 



36 The %iver: 



Down to my brimming brink 
Came flock and herd to drink, 
And birds to preen and prink 

Their pkimage gay. 
I made the cool morass 
Where in the tall, coarse grass 
The cattle loved to pass 

Half the hot day. 



The noble youth becomes a helper to those less 
able, a creator of beneficent instrumentalities, 



Z.4 Song of Human Life. 37 

The sun-loved golden grain, 
Faint with my long disdain, 
With the cool lips of the rain 

At length I kissed. 
Also, the tr3\st to renew, 
I sent my daughters true. 



Soft-footed fog and dew 



And shrouding mist. 



though at first, from mental preoccupation, consider- 
ed cold and distant. 



38 The %iver: 


In a cradle of silk the corn 


Has nestled since it was born, 


And the silk will never be torn 


Till the grain be ripe. 


The farmer will ne'er take his ease 


Till he 's gathered the golden fleece ; 


When his granary full he sees, 


He lights his pipe. 


His industry bears rich fruit ; 



<^4 Song of Hitman Life. 39 

He quietly ridges his brows 

As he sees his well-stuffed mows, 



And thinks of his good milch-cows 



In the winter's cold. 
He opens and looks in his bins, 



He slams them shut and grins, 



And chuckles under his chins 
At sisrht of his orold. 



he prospers and is glad. 



40 


The %iver: 




Now I have ships that glide 




Forth and far on my tide, 




And I feel the pulse of the wide, 




Majestic sea ; 




And cities crowd to my shore, 




Where mone3?^-kings sit in the door 




Of their tents of smoke, whose roar 




Comes ever to me. 


He 


engages in trade and commerce, founds cities, 


and becomes a moiiev-kint^. 



Z.4 Song of Hitman Life. 41 

I give the breath of my tide 
To the atmosphere, m}- bride. 
And away to the north it doth ride 

On the southwind's wings. 
Then it falls in a gentle rain 
To nourish the thirsty grain, 
And quickl}' joins me again 

In the rills and springs. 

His beneficent influence extends far and wide. 



42 



The %iver: 



In the dusk the fisherman sets 
In ni}^ current deep his nets, 
And patiently awaits 

Dawn o'er the hills ; 
Then he draws his nets, and behold ! 
Up from my waters cold 
What beauties ! good as gold ; 

And his boat he fills. 



His touch awakens the correlated forces of healthful 
business activity, 



£/f Song of Human Life. 43 



Quick to the city streets 
Come up the fishing fleets, 
And them the huckster greets 

With a laugh in his sides ; 
Then the huckster hawks my fish, 
And the poor child hath its wish, 
And shouts at the smoking dish 

The River provides. 



and brings to the community the blessings of pros- 
perity and happiness. 



44 The %h'er: 



At anchor there in ni}' bay 
Are ships from lands far awa}' 
Across the sea and the da}^ 

With treasures unguessed. 
The ships will be laden again 
With riches of mountain and plain, 
And, home-going pigeons, amain 

Will fl}' to their nest. 



His ships sail every sea, 



<tA Song of Human Life. 45 



With these ni}' shuttles of trade 
The Cloth of Gold I braid, 
Whose beaiit}^ never shall fade ; 

That shall cover the world — 
The Gospel of I^ove and Peace, 
Whose jubilance never shall cease, 
Whose banners shall float in the breeze, 

Ne'er to be furled. 



sowing in distant lands the seeds of universal frater- 
nity, and teaching and spreading over the whole 
earth the gospel of peace and good-will to men. 



46 The loiter: 



And now ni}^ goal is won 
The River's work, begun 
In the far hills, is done ; 

The bar is passed. 
Cleansed by th}^ purit}-, 

all-embracing sea, 

1 am absorbed in thee. 

Rest ! rest ! at last. 



Old age comes on at last, crowned with success and 
peaceful joy, and death and apparent absorption in 
the soul of the universe ends the scene. 



PD-2.3 



m^ 




C^ ^ ^i: c:^ ^ 






r , (<? 













,0 










^ , ,v -^ ^O ^ 
















.^'\^ 

















0*^ c«"^^-^ 












#\^ 



,-■' ,X) 









=1^0^ 



.^^- 









%^' 



./■ 















g, ' I LIBRARY BINDING CO INC. ) . ^^ .^^ J" MM>j' /h ' 

^ 'V ST, ftUGUSllNE. FLA_^/ \^- > _ '^>\ai-B^^ 



